More signatures sought

There has been a disappointing show of names on a petition protesting Vancouver city council’s proposed plan to roll back downtown bar hours, says Vance Campbell.

Campbell, proprietor of The Oasis and Sugar Daddy’s, is spearheading a campaign to keep bar hours at the current closing time of 3 am in the Davie Village, instead of a proposed 2 am last call being reviewed by city council.

So far, only 500 people have signed.

Campbell says he had hoped for between 3,000 and 4,000 names, but will keep the petition circulating for a few more weeks.

“People need to understand that we only have one kick at the can,” Campbell warns. “It was only during Expo [’86] that bars were even allowed to open at all on Sundays, and seven years ago that bars could stay open after midnight on Sundays,” he points out.

At an Apr 5 council meeting, Non-Partisan Alliance councillor Kim Capri asked for a staff report examining the possible implications of closing bars in the downtown core at 2 am to curb bar-related violence on Granville St.

Celebrities’ James Steck says rolling back hours in the Village is not the answer.

“Vancouver is rated in the top five places to travel for a gay destination. If the city is going to roll back hours to two o’clock that’s just going to tell the world we are all idiots here,” he says.

Campbell says the plan is to present the petitions to council when it next meets to discuss the issue.

Capri says no specific date has been set for the issue to be brought forward.